Reading to Write: A Review of 2012 Reads
As 2011 set and 2012 rose, I vowed to read every untouched book on my shelf before seeking new ones. This is a difficult challenge, as my wish list for books is unending. The only books I purchased were for my writing – books on motherhood for researching my book proposal and books on writing to encourage and refine my skills.
Here’s my reading recommendations, often married with my musings, for 2012:
Writing Books
- Writing About Your Life and Writing to Learn by William Zinsser
- Zinnser is an expert on writing. The content, cadence and candor of his writing confirm so. Both are worth reading, but I much preferred Writing About Your Life.
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
- Widely excepted as THE authority on technical writing issues, The Elements of Style isn’t a quick read, but it’s a must read and re-read by all writers. E.B. White’s contributions to the original make the book even better.
- The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
- This is now tied as my favorite writing book (along with Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott). A short book with beautiful style, it encourages people along their own writing journey.
Motherhood
- Blue Like Playdough by Tricia Goyer
- This was my favorite of the five comp books I read this year in preparation for my book proposal. While the title is an obnoxious and obvious take on Donald Miller’s book Blue Like Jazz, the book itself is filled with beautifully told tales of Goyer’s children and her own childhood.
Christian Nonfiction
- Where is God When it Hurts? by Phillip Yancey
- After reading Yancey last year, I decided to give this book a try. I was leery of Christian cliches, but the book is a worthwhile read for those asking why admits trials and pain.
Nonfiction
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
- Gladwell explores the way we make decisions, often without even thinking. He explains that at times our subconscious, snap decisions are far superior to our conscious, over-thought decisions. The book is full of relevant psychological studies and offers important insights on decision making.
- Walden by Henry Thoreau
- Before this year, I had only read Thoreau on black and white photocopied papers in high school and college. Unfortunately, I think the photocopies covered all the worthy parts. The first section titled Economy is by far my favorite. In this section, Thoreau calls for a radical simplicity. The rest of the book often left me feeling like I was listening to a long rant by a judgmental, pompous man.
- A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel by Annie Griffiths Belt
- Belt shares stories and photographs from her many years working at National Geographic, including tales to bringing her children with her on so many of her unique and important journeys.
Fiction
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
- I think it’s always difficult to start a C.S. Lewis book because he’s brilliant. It takes a few chapters to settle into his style, but it’s always worth the stamina. This book is creative truth, using letters between two demons to explain how we often are lead into temptation and how we can prevail.
